Coleman bond vote Monday

Published 8:00 pm, Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Coleman Community Schools residents will vote Monday on a $2.4 million bond proposal designed to ease the district's continuing money woes.

The bond is for 15 years and will increase the district's bond levy by 0.9 mill in the first year. The polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the elementary school.

The district has faced financial problems for years. The teaching staff has been reduced from 71 to 59, and days of pupil instruction were reduced from 181 to 176. The district's operating budget declined by more than $200,000 over the last three years.

Superintendent Al Roeseler talked about the district's needs and what the bond proposal means at an informational meeting this week.

He said district residents now pay 3.65 mills. They will pay 4.55 mills if the bond passes. Seniors and certain low-income households could be eligible for a property tax credit, which means they would pay less millage.

The bond is needed for several major projects, including:

* Screens - Roeseler said many students are allergic to insect bites. However, the windows have to be opened at times because there is no central air conditioning.

* Driveway and parking lots - Roeseler said it's a matter of time before the driveways and parking lots become gravel. Grass is encroaching into the cement.

* Boilers - The high school boilers are more than 30 years old. Roeseler said the boilers are inefficient and waste money.

"Things have been so tight, we put resources toward kids, classrooms," Roeseler said. "We just don't have an extra dime."

* Buses - The district hasn't bought a new school bus since 1999. It has bought some used buses from other districts.

Roeseler said neighbors have complained about the broken fences. He said other needed items include a new refrigerator for the high school, furniture, band instruments and air conditioning in several high school rooms that house computers. Finally, Roeseler said, the district needs to upgrade its infrastructure for fiber optic connection.

Parent Susan Cutts said she was willing to vote for the proposal if district officials aren't going to come back in five years with another bond proposal.

"This is a 15-year bond. We tried to include everything we foresaw needing in 15 years," Roeseler said.

"If this is going to become a pattern every five years, you're going to get a lot of static," Cutts said.

A 1999 bond paid for new elementary school furnaces, the middle school's main doors, new furniture for the high school, and carpeting for the middle and high schools.

But the 1999 bond also paid for a controversial high school logo, which some people say cost as much as $10,000. The purchases were made by a different board and superintendent.